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London Street Scene - Work in Progress.
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Message
Posted
Although the painting was still a bit wet, I have managed to go over most of it, adding a touch of colour here and there, and generally putting on the second layer. This is as far as I could take it, as the paint underneath was starting to lift. When it's dry I will make some headway, putting more colour and lighter areas on the buildings where the sun is falling. The buildings at the back also need toning down considerably, having put on a lighter coat for the sky today, it has made those buildings far too stark.
Posted
It's a fascinating progression, and well worth having this new subject heading so we can see how the paintings are built up. I hope to show the latest stage of mine soon, but have spent hours, and hours, today trying to upload my website. A friend came to my rescue and also spent hours, and hours, wrestling with the problem - he has more patience and persistence than I have though: I was actually making myself ill with the strain of it all - stone me, why do we do these things? Anyway, I think hope trust and pray it's all up there now, suitably amended. We went to the live chat section of the host's website in the end, and when it was finally all done were exhorted to "Have a nice day!". Er, yes; well there wasn't much left of the day by then, and it hadn't been nice at all. ANYWAY - never mind all that: I just fell the need to unburden myself.
Back to Alan's painting, I can see it's going to be a good 'un, and would I be correct in thinking it will be rather different to his more usual style? Well the great thing is that we shall shortly be able to see - I know some would say that oil paint is a nuisance because it takes so long to dry, but I wonder if that extra time isn't quite a benefit: it gives time for thought and reflection - the fine careless abandon is great for some subjects and treatments, but now and then a cooler, more contemplative approach is called for. And I could do with a bit of cool contemplation right now....
Posted
Thanks for your views Robert, and I do agree that to spend some time away from the work can and does help me. I am looking at it and contemplating my next stage, although I am working to a plan, having already painted this as a smaller version in order to work from, and thus iron out any issues with light, perspective etc, prior to charging in like a Bull in a china shop, to coin a phrase, and having to sort any issues out at this larger scale.
I do have many styles Robert, all have some basic connection, but working on this more complex subject calls for a different approach, hence the grid for starters, and some accurate drawing in the first instance, but the rest of it is I hope in my usual style. There is perhaps one small difference, I am using my paint much thinner, could this be down to the fact that I am using Michael Harding oil paints, hmmm... very likely.
We touched on the subject yesterday via email regarding my concerns that this new WIP facility was not bringing in the comments. It was instigated by yourself I believe and of course Dawn, on the back of numerous requests to have a WIP section, and we will wait and see how it pans out. There could be any number of reasons, lack of interest, not the traffic viewing the Forum, or of course it could be ME, surely not...hope not anyway.
Gudrun, thanks for your helpful and interesting comments, I am pleased to see that you have taken an interest in this section, perhaps we will see your work on here shortly...
Edited
by alanbickley
Posted
That new touch of colour is already showing great progress and I am fascinated. When I could paint in oils I never bothered too much about drying time, but I appreciate you need to now and then.
I do wish I could build up more stages, but I am an impatient beast at best of times and I am growing to like my slapdash immediate style. Unlike the master here.
Posted
I love your style Derek, as many of us on POL do, and I'm sure elsewhere also. There is actually no more impatient man on the planet than I, but with painting I have learnt to control that impatience, but it took a while, and I hope worthwhile.
I do of course still enjoy painting alla prima in oils, and will continue to do so, but a change is as good as etc etc... Thanks for your input, pleased you are enjoying watching its progress, it is in the stage of 'must leave well alone' at present, far to wet, even though it was painted thinly, the sky is the worst, hense my question on the Forum, any ideas?, I expect Robert will possibly come up with something, he usually never fails on these subjects.
Your WIP is taking shape and I will be commenting shortly, aren't you lucky!, ha ha...
Posted
On the off-chance that someone out there may be moderately interested, this is stage 4.
Without getting involved with too much detail, the whole canvas has been worked over again with thicker paint, some minor detail has been added, the figures and cars painted in more or less the final position that I want them to appear. In the penultimate stage I will add the strong highlights on parts of the right hand buildings to indicate sunshine, and work on some smaller details as in a few windows etc, but not overdone, that is always my problem, I get carried away.
Then at the final stage, and when dry, I will add some strong glazed washes, particularly on the left hand buildings and part of the road, hopefully it will then be finished.
I know it seems like a long and laborious process, and I understand that this amount of planning and stage working is not for everyone, and indeed I don't paint in this way every time, many of you have seen some of my earlier work which is a similar size and been painted from scratch in an hour. Somehow, I do like to have a change, and in many respects this is how my paintings developed during my college years, this is how we were all taught, to work to set disciplines. I can tell you that this is not the way student's are taught now, or certainly not in my old college, and to their detriment in my opinion.